Russia has engaged in discussions with Cuba regarding the construction of an oil refinery, as reported by TASS, citing senior Russian lawmaker Alexander Babakov. A delegation of Russian lawmakers, led by Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the lower house of parliament, is currently visiting Havana.
Babakov emphasized the logic of utilizing Cuba’s crude oil resources to produce oil products locally rather than relying on imports. He mentioned that “the largest Russian companies could be involved” in the potential project.
The relationship between Russia and Cuba has deep historical roots, dating back to the 1959 Cuban revolution when Havana received support from the Soviet Union. Recently, Russia resumed crude oil supplies to Cuba after a year-long hiatus in March.
Currently, Venezuela is Cuba’s primary oil supplier, but shipments have decreased in recent years. Last year, Mexico also exported significant amounts of oil to Cuba, although this year has seen a decline in those exports.